Tank handhole and cover



May 31, 1932. A. F. OCO'NNOR TANK HANDHOLE AND COVER Filed March 17, 1930 54 .19 42 3 2a )4 W 27 A9 Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED sires PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EQUIPMENT SPECIALTIES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS TANK HANDHOLE AND COVER Application filed March 17, 1930. Serial No. 436,418.

My invention relates to hand holes and covers particularly adapted for tanks, although it may have a general application.

One of the objects of my invention is to improve the construction shown in Patent No. 1,339,905, granted May 11, 1920, for an improvement in tank hand hole and cover.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of improved and efficient means for effecting closure of an opening by means of a lever operating a rotatable rolling shaft the ends of which co-operate with cam keepers combined with means separate from the closure for engaging the lever and holding the closure in closed position.

More particularly it is the object of the present invention to provide a closure for an opening with means mounted on the closure having a rotatable and rolling movement cooperating with stationary cam keepers and means separate from the closure for holding the closure in closed position with a uniform compression on a gasket surrounding the periphery of the opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved gasket holder at the periphery of the opening which will facilitate the removal and renewal of the gasket.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View takon on the line 44 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Secured to the tank 5 surrounding an opening 6 therein, is a base frame 7 which is shown in Fig. 1 in the form of a rectangle. At the sides of the base frame are keepers 8, 8 which may be integral with the base frame 7 so as to be rigid therewith and stationary. The outer walls of the keepers 8, 8 are closed, but the inner sides thereof are open and so also the rear ends thereof at 9, 9. The forward ends of the keepers 8, 8 are provided with vertical walls 10, 10. The tops 11, 11 of the keepers are inclined downwardly toward the front walls 10, 10. This downward inclination of the tops l1, 11' is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It should be understood that the base frame 7 is rigidly secured to the tank 5 as illustrated at 12 in Fig. 3. The opening in the base frame 7 registers with the opening 6 in the tank 5 and the periphery of such opening at the inner edge of the base frame 7 is provided with a groove 13 formed by the flange 14. In this groove 13 fits a gasket 15, preferably of rubber. This gasket is provided with a flange 16 which enters the groove 13 as shown in Fig. 3. The gasket 15 also extends outwardly from the frame 7 sufficiently to receive the compression exerted on the gate or door 17 when the latter is closed as hereinafter described.

To facilitate removal and renewal of the gasket 15, the corners of the flange 14 are cut away as illustrated at 18 in Fig. 1. At each corner the gasket 15 will be fully eX- posed so that it can be readily pried upward- 1y from the grooves 13 and in the same manner a new gasket may be more readily pried into place so as to fit into the grooves 13. By providing the cut-away portions 18, there are in reality four straight grooves 13, one on each side of the opening surrounded by the base frame 7. Fig. 4: is a section taken on the line l-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and therefore shows a portion of the gate or cover 17. Fig. 4 shows that at the corners the flanges 16 are omitted so that the gasket 15 at the corners will fit against flat faces. hen the cover 17 is removed, an instrument may readily be inserted at 18 back of the gasket 15 so that the latter may be pried out of the grooves 13.

The lateral edges of the gate or closure 17 are provided with upstanding walls 19, 19' which are provided with elongated slots illustrated at 20, 20 in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows the elongated slot in the wall 19 in elevation since Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The slots 20, receive and act as guides for the end portions 21, 21 of the rock shaft 22 which is mounted on the cover or closure 17 so as to have a rotatable and a rolling motion.

Just within the walls 19, 19 are located the wheels 23, 2.3 which are adapted to roll over the flat tracks 24, 2% on the face of the closure 17.

On the inner sides of the wheels 23, 23 are gear wheels 25, 25, the teeth of which are adapted to mesh with the recesses or depressions 26, 26 in the face of the gate or closure 17. It will thus be seen that the spacedapart recesses or depressions 26, 26 constitute racks for the gear wheels 25, 25.

To the central portion of the rock shaft 22 is connected a lever plate 27. The rock shaft 22 may be square in cross-section as shown in Fig. 3 to facilitate connection of the lever plate 27 therewith. The plate 27 may be secured to two sides of the rock shaft 22 as shown in Fig. 3 and then bent away from the shaft at 28 so as to afford a stiffening corrugation for the lever 27 and the rock shaft 22. The lever plate 27 may be welded or otherwise secured to the rock shaft 22.

It should be understood that the cotter pin shown at 29 in Fig. 3 is for the purpose of holding the wheel 23 and gear 25 in place as shown in Fig. 1. A similar cotter pin 29 is shown in Fig. 1 for holding the wheel 23 and gear 25 in place. The squared portion of the rock shaft 22 may extend into square openings in the gears 25, 25 and wheels 23, 23. The inner surfaces of the walls 19, 19 and the cotter pins 29, 29' will then prevent the wheels and gears from sliding endwise of the rock shaft 22.

The end portions 21, 21 which may be integral with the rock shaft 22 are cylindrical in shape and engage the bottom surfaces of the top walls 11, 11 of the keepers 8, 8. As explained above, the under surfaces of the top walls 11, 11 are inclined downwardly as illustrated in Fig. 3 so as to form cams engaged by the cylindrical end portions 21, 21.

Secured rigidly to the upper portion of the gate 17 is a plate 30 having side walls 31, 31. Extending through these side walls 31, .31 is a hinge bolt 32, one end of which may be provided with a head 33 and the other end of which may be screw-threaded to receive the nut 34.

A U-shaped bracket 35 is secured rigidly at 36 to the base frame 7 so as to form a support for the bolt 32. This bolt may be clamped in fixed position by means of the nut 34 to the bracket 35 so as to form a fixed bearing for the pivot of the door or gate 17.

The walls 31, 31' are each provided with oval slots 37 as illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the door may have a movement against the gasket 15 at right angles to the plane of the tank opening 6. That is to say, although the walls 31, 31' are secured rigidly to the door so as to provide a hinge for the door on the bolt 32, the door when closed may have a straight line movement against the gasket 15 by reason of the slots 37 in the walls 31, 31.

When the lever 27 is moved back from its position shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 22 will be rotated and rolled rearwardly to move the cylindrical ends 21, 21 backwardly along the under surfaces of the cams and out from the rear ends 9, 9 of the keepers. The cylindrical portions 21, 21 may then be moved outwardly from the base frame 7 and consequently the door or cover 17 is free to be moved on the hinge bolt 32.

When the lever 27 is swung upwardly with the door in closed position, the cylindrical ends 21, 21 will roll along the under surfaces of the cams in the keepers and this cam action will press the door against the gasket 15.

When the door is in closed position and the lever 27 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the clip 38 may be moved by means of the handle 39 into the position shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the clip 38 are provided with eyes 10, 10 which surround the bolt 32 so as to pivot the clip 38 to the bolt 32.

The upper end of the lever plate 27 is provided with a curved portion so as to form an elongated arcuate recess 11. By exerting sufficient pressure on the lever 27, the latter may be moved down against the resilient resistance of the gasket 15 to permit the clip 38 to be moved into the recess 11. Then upon release of the lever 27 the resilient portion 28 will hold the recess 1-1 against the clip 33. Consequently the door will be locked in closed position with a force which is exerted from the fixed position of the clip 38 extended to the rock shaft 22 at 28. In other words, by mounting the clip 38 on the bolt 32 which is in rigid connection with the base frame 7 a force is obtained to hold the door closed with a uniform pressure. Therefore not only is the cam pressure exerted on the door across the middle portion thereof, but also the lever pressure is exerted at the middle portion of the door to hold the same closed. By referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the cams wedge the door along straight lines at right angles to the opening 6; also that after the cams hold the door stationary, the bending down of the lever 27 at 28 exerts a constant downward pressure from the central portion of the door to hold the latter against the gasket 15 at the entire periphery thereof. It is important to note that the clip 38 which holds down the lever 27 is not secured to the cover 17, but is supported on the bolt 32 separately from the cover 17 since the bolt 32 is rigidly mounted on and clamped to the bracket 35. As explained above, this arrangement gives a more uniform compression of the door on the gasket 15 than by means of the arrangement shown in the aforesaid Patent No. 1,389,905. Furthermore, the rocking and rolling shaft and the mechanism as sociated therewith closes the gate or door 1'? much more efliciently than does the structure shown in said patent.

t should also be observed that while I have provided mechanism for closing the gate or door over a hand hole, with moving parts, the latter always remain intact since the apparatus forms a self-contained unit with no loose parts that can be easily detached and become lost. Furthermore, the parts always remain in their proper positions for very quick and efficient operation. The door is hinged to the hinge pin 32 which may be in horizontal position above or below the door, or in vertical position at either side thereof. By means of the elongated cams, a gradual and very forcible pressure may be exerted when the lever is moved through an angle of approximately 180 while the shaft 22 is rocked and rolled and the wheels 23, 23 maintain a rolling engagement with the tracks 24, 24. While the slots 20, 20 confine the rock shaft to its proper position, the cylinders 21, 21 need not engage the upper and lower edges of the slots 20, 20 when the cams are engaged. When the cams are engaged the pressure is distributed over the wide surfaces of both of the rollers 23, 28 against the face of the door 17 near the gasket 15 and at the central portion of the door 17. It will also be seen that the rollers 23, 23 by traveling on the tracks 24, 24: greatly relieve the strain on the gears 25, 25 while meshing with the racks 26, 26.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and ar rangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as de fined by the claims hereto appended and I wish therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fully disclosed an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hand hole cover comprising a base having a hand hole, a gate for closing said hand hole, spaced-apart guideways on said gate, a pair of cams on the base, a traveling shaft on said gate, a lever for rotating said shaft, means between said shaft and said gate for causing said shaft to travel along said guideways when said shaft is rocked, and extensions on the ends of said shafts in position to co-act with said cams to effect the opening and closing of said gate.

2. A hand hole cover comprising a base element having a hand hole, a gate element pivotally connected to the base by a floating pivot to close the hand hole, a pair of cams on one element, a lever on the other element, and means actuated by said lever to travel along said gate while rotating relatively thereto to co-act with said cams and hold the gate closed over said hand hole.

3. A hand hole cover comprising a base ele ment, a gate element pivotally supported by the base in position to close said hole, a pair of cams on one element, means on the gate and co-acting with said cams to hold the gate closed, and mechanism for operating said means with a rolling translating movement with respect to the gate to control the same.

4:- A hand hole cover comprising a base element having a hand hole, a gate element slidably and pivotally supported by the base for closing said hand hole, a rock shaft mounted on the gate to span the same and said base element, a lever for rocking said shaft, means connected to said shaft to impart a translating movement thereto when thus rocked by said lever, and cam mechanism on the base member in position to co-act with said shaft to hold the gate closed.

5. A hand hole cover for tanks comprising a base having a hand hole, a gate pivotally connected to the base by a sliding pivot for closing the hand hole, a locking lever, a rock shaft connected to said lever and spanning the gate and base, a cam on the base at each end of said shaft, and means between the shaft and gate for effecting translating movement of the shaft ends along the cams when said shaft is rocked by said lever.

6. The combination with a frame for an opening, of a closure for such opening, a rock shaft mounted on said closure, means for imparting a translating movement to said shaft along said closure when said shaft is rocked, and means co-acting with said shaft to lock said closure over said opening.

7. A closure for an opening, side walls at the edges of said closure, an operating shaft, extensions at the ends of said shaft extending through guide slots in said walls, spacedapart racks on said closure, gears on said shaft meshing with said racks, and wide faced rollers adjacent said gears in position to engage the face of the closure to relieve the operating strain of the gears on the racks.

8. The combination with a frame for a r 1 opening, of a closure for'said opening, an operating shaft, means connected to said shaft and co-acting therewith to lock the closure in closed-position over said opening, a lever resiliently connectedto said shaft, a stationary support rigidly connected to said frame separately from the closure, and means mounted on such support for movement over the free end of said lever when the latter is yieldingly pressed beyond a predetermined position.

9. The combination with a door for an opening, of means comprising a pin for hinging the door, mechanism comprising a lever for locking the door in closed position over said opening, and a clip pivoted to said pin for engaging said lever to hold it in looking position.

10. The combination with a door, of a hinge therefor, means comprising a resilient lever for locking the door in closed position, and a clip associated with said hinge for engaging said lever to hold the same in locking position.

11. The combination with a door, of a hinge pin mounted in fixed stationary position, an extension from said door comprising spaced-apart plates with slots therein for receiving said hinge pin, said slots affording a pivot for the door on said pin and limited movement of the door at right angles to and from the opening to be closed by the door, means comprising a lever for locking the door in closed position, and a clip pivoted to said hinge pin in position to swing over the free end of said lever to hold the latter in looking position.

12. The combination with a door, of locking mechanism therefor comprising a rocking and rolling shaft, spaced-apart gears on the shaft, racks on the door in mesh with said gears, and roilers on the shaft in position to engage tracks on the door to relieve the operating s rain on said racks.

13. The combination with a frame for an opening rectangular in shape, upwardly and outwardly extending flanges at the periphery of said opening the corners being cut away to afiord rectilinear grooves one at each side of said opening and each groove open at such corners, a gasket fitting said grooves and extending along said cut-away spaces to facilitate removal and renewal of such gasket and a door resting on said gasket when in closed position, keepers located at the sides of said doors, said keepers comprising cams, and locking mechanism for the door comprising means entering the keepers and riding along said cams.

14. The combination with a frame for an opening, of means affording grooves extending the sides of said opening, a portion of said grooves being cut away to interrupt the continuity thereof, and a gasket fitting said grooves and extending along such interrupted portion to facilitate removal at the latter position and means forming a door resting on said gasket when closed, keepers formed in said frame at the sides of said opening, said keepers comprising cams, and means for locking said door comprising a member shiftedly mounted with respect to said door and bearing thereon and having portions engaging said cams.

15. The combination with a frame for an opening, of means forming grooves extending along the sides of said opening, a portion of said grooves being cut away to interrupt the continuity thereof, a gasket fitting said grooves and extending in said interrupted portion to facilitate removal of the gasket, a

door covering said opening and resting on said gasket when in closed position, and means co-operating with the door and the frame and detachably engaging one of said parts to lock the door in closed position upon the gasket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 12th day of March, A. D. 1930.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR. 

